Ahh Paris, the city of lights, how I love you. This blog post has taken me a while to publish (I returned from my trip over a month ago now - how time flies!), but I wanted to make sure I got it right. To me, like many across the globe, Paris is a very special city - there's just something about it - and I didn't feel that I'd be doing it, or any of you, justice if I rushed through a guide to the city. 

2016 has been a year of change for me, full of some of the best times, and some of the worst. I started the year stuck in a rut, completely unhappy at where my life had taken me and generally down in the dumps. Unwilling to just sulk and hope my life worked itself out, I threw myself into my work, finally took the plunge and changed my blog direction, leaving me feeling a whole lot happier at the end of the year. 2016 was also the year I thew myself into travel, which is how 'Sail Away' came about really, so what better way to end the year, than by recapping some of my travel highlights. So, in no particular order...

1. Learning to sail.

This isn't something I thought I'd be doing this year, but in June we sailed to Cowes on the Isle of Wight. It was torrential rain the whole way through, but even that didn't spoil the fun! So much so, that we're looking at sailing again this year. 

2. Shooting machine guns in Las Vegas.

Again, not something I'd have imagined myself doing this year, and definitely not one for everyone, but if you don't mind playing with guns (in a safe & controlled environment - they don't just let you loose in the desert!) then I'd definitely recommend a visit - it's something I'll remember forever. 

3. Looking out over the Grand Canyon in Arizona. 

Visiting the Grand Canyon is something that's been on my bucket list for so long, and this year I was finally able to make that dream a reality. Looking out over the Grand Canyon was breathtaking, and reminded me of just how small we really are - a truly unforgettable experience.

4. Spending the night at a traditional arabic camp in Dubai.

This is something I've done before, but I wanted to show my friend who I was travelling with just how magical it can be. When you think of Dubai you often think of the flashy lights and super yachts, but taking the time to visit old Dubai is something truly wonderful. 

5. Eating French food in Paris.

Paris is somewhere that I've wanted to visit for my entire life, and with it being so close to the UK, it's a wonder I'd never been before! Eating French food in a little parisian restaurant was the dream, and I can't wait to return one day.

6. Winning on the slots in Las Vegas.

My trip to Las Vegas was one of my favourites this year, and in true Vegas style, of course I had a go at the slots...in fact, I had more than a go - I won! Okay, so it may have only been $180 but still, I felt like a millionaire when those bells started ringing!

7. Watching the world go by at the top of the Burj Khalifa.

The viewing platform at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is another thing which reminded me of just how small we all are. I've been to viewing platforms before, but nothing compares to the Burj Khalifa, I've never seen giant sky scrapers look so teeny!

8. Gazing up at the Eiffel Tower. 

As I said, Paris has been on my mind for years. Sitting on the platform at the Trocadero, gazing up at the magnificent Tour Eiffel, I felt like all of my dreams had come true - there's something so magical about Paris, and this view captured that magic perfectly.

9. Pumpkin picking in Surrey. 

Okay so maybe I didn't have to travel too far for this one, but I'd still like to include it as it was so much fun. This year we did the cliche 'blogger thing' and headed to the Pumpkin Patch on Halloween, and we had a great time so I'll definitely be doing it again this year!

10. Flying Business Class with British Airways.

This last one technically isn't about the destination, more the journey. I recently flew business class with British Airways (to Munich and back in a day!) and it was such a dream. I'm always in the cheap seats right at the back of the plane, so being able to experience business was such a treat! 

On our third and final day in Paris, we had a lot of things we still wanted to see. Eager to cram in as much as possible, we headed out bright and early (after a quick pitstop at Starbucks to caffinate), taking the metro back to the Trocadero. 

Although we'd been the night before, we still wanted to see the Eiffel Tower in all of it's glory during sunlight, and the Trocadero really is the best place to take it all in. It turns out that Sunday morning is a great time to visit, as the crowds are much less and the sun created the most beautiful haze over the monument. 

We then took a stroll down the road to pick up some souvenirs from our trip. I like to pick up at least one little souvenir from each place I visit, to remember my time, and so that my home is decorated with a little piece of the world I've travelled - it brings back lovely memories and keeps me thinking about the happy times. We then wandered down to one of my favourite places in Paris, the Palais Royal. 

On day 2 in Paris, we were still suitcase-less and it was really starting to take it's toll. We'd had to sleep in our clothes, with no toiletries and what was supposed to be a fashion-filled girly weekend was turning into something much less stylish. Determined to not let this completely ruin our weekend, we all swapped coats (that's a new outfit, right?), threw on our sunglasses and hit the streets of Paris for our second day. 

First thing on the agenda was definitely breakfast. We'd initially planned to travel up to the Sacre Coeur that morning and to grab breakfast while we were up there, but unfortunately we needed to spend the morning shopping for necessities and new clothes in case our suitcase never turned up. Instead, we headed down the road from our hotel to the Galleries Lafayette and dived into a teeny french café. The café was your typical French bistro, serving up everything from croissants to croque madame to delight your tastebuds...and of course, wine. All three of us opted for the Croque Madame (cheese, eggs and bread?! yes please.) and a much needed coffee. Feeling a lot better after breakfast, we hit Sephora and the Galleries Lafayette and came out with a whole new outfit and toiletries to change into. 

After shopping we headed back to the hotel for a much needed shower and outfit change. As we got back to the hotel we found that our case had just arrived (at around 3pm) so we decided we would spend a bit of time at the hotel doing our hair and makeup, and generally making ourselves feel human again. 

The site also has historical significance, as an important part of the French Revolution. During the French Revolution the statue of Louis XV of France was torn down and the area was renamed Place de la Révolution. The new revolutionary government erected the guillotine in the square, and it was there that King Louis XVI was executed in 1793. Other important historical figures were also guillotined on the site, often in front of cheering crowds, such as Marie Antoinette, Princess Elisabeth of France, Georges Danton and Olympe de Gouges. Standing in the square now, it's hard to think that such horror occurred there back in the 1700s. 

After we'd finished at the Place de la Concorde, we headed to the infamous Angelia Paris to warm up with some hot chocolate and cake. When we were planning our weekend, we knew that a trip to Angelina was an absolute must. Frequented by Coco Chanel herself, their restaurant has become famous across the globe and their hot chocolate is to die for - The famous african hot chocolate is composed of three carefully selected kinds of African cocoa sourced from Niger, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, and is unlike anything I've ever tasted. 

The restaurant itself is beautiful, with it's typical french interiors and friendly staff, and the cakes are out of this world. Never one to shy away from a chocolate overload, I chose the 'Vienne'. As a reminder of the company's Austrian origins, the chefs have given the traditional chocolate Viennese pastry a new twist for the festive season - offering an alliance of three chocolates, worked in several different ways. It was delicious and if you're passing by any of their stores you have to give this a go!

It was dark by the time we left Angelina (the one bad thing about winter in Paris - the sun goes down at around 4pm!) so we headed to the Trocadero to take in the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower is one of my favourite monuments in the world, so to see it sparkling away right in-front of me was so special. The Eiffel Tower lights up every night, but on the hour, it switches on its sparkling lights for the prettiest of light shows. We waited a whole hour in the cold to see the lights twinkle, and it was so worth it - one of the highlights of my trip. 

After we were finished at the Eiffel Tower, we headed back to the hotel to prepare for dinner at A la Cloche d'Or, a french restaurant located right next to the Moulin Rouge. As the Parisians do, we headed out for dinner late and went fully French with our meal choices. First we had escargot and the best baked camembert I've ever had, followed by a selection of French meat dishes ad to round off we indulged in a trio of sorbet. The food was amazing and the restaurant had such a lovely atmosphere, I'd definitely recommend for anyone looking for a French feast in Paris!